It’s onto Seminole County for states for the primary time ever for the Wellington Excessive women tennis workforce.
Whereas Wellington has positioned particular person state qualifiers prior to now, the Wolverines had by no means certified as a workforce to states. And it didn’t look good this season.
After ending runner-up to Jupiter in final week’s 4A District 11 event, Wellington moved onto the Regional 11 event, together with Jupiter. This time, Wellington turned the tables on Jupiter.
Within the regional semifinals, Wellington ousted West Boca 4-3 after which in a rematch took out Jupiter in The Finals on Friday. That earned Wellington a berth into the state workforce event that begins Monday at Sanlando Park. Wellington will face Lake Nona in its first battle.
“It’s thrilling – an excellent accomplishment that we will make it this far,’’ stated junior first singles Keira Uter. “It’s a extremely large factor for us.’’
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Keira Uter heads a singles lineup that features Raya Dittfurth at 2 Scarlett Stephens at 3, Laasya Movva at 4 and Jayden Jaraczewski at 5. Uter-Raya performed first doubles. Stephens and Jaraczewski performed second doubles and received the workforce clincher vs. Jupiter. None of Wellington’s prime 5 are seniors, which means all of them may return subsequent season.
“I understand how onerous they labored and the adversity they overcame all year long to get up to now,’’’ head coach Josh Mcelwain stated. “It’s outstanding.’’
Mcelwain was proud that Wellington, a public faculty, doesn’t have any home-schooled children on the roster, which is commonplace in tennis with some non-public establishments and a few faculties in Boca Raton.
Mcelwain is aided by assistants Peter Lang and Thad Millsap. Throughout districts, Wellington was lacking Dittforth with a collarbone harm however she made it again for states.
At No. 1, Uter had misplaced to Jupiter’s Gianna Panaggio at districts final week however gained revenge at regionals.
“I educated tougher and performed a distinct model,’’ Uter stated. “I received extra balls again in play.’’
Stevens received each her matches vs. Jupiter. In opposition to West Boca, Stephens received a third-set tiebreaker to key that win. Although Stevens certified for states in singles final 12 months individually, she struggled earlier this season, shedding a handful of shut matches.
In latest weeks, Stephens began coaching along with her father, Luke Stephens, the top professional on the Wellington Tennis Heart, which is one thing that they had stopped doing the final couple of years.
Within the Area 11 boys occasion, West Boca certified for the state event by successful the Area 11 title, topping Spanish River within the finals. Beforehand, the Bulls set a milestone when each the ladies and boys groups received the district title.
The West Boca boys workforce, whose head coach is Martha Whittaker, completed the common season at 13-2 – the one losses coming towards the elite non-public faculties American Heritage Delray and St. Andrew’s.
Freshman Brayden Amey is West Boca’s first singles. The remainder of the lineup is Miles Repair, Eduardo Cardenas, senior captain Archie Balyberdin, who has dedicated to the College of Florida the place he’ll play membership tennis, and David Stanescu.
“One of many causes we’re taking part in, so nicely is as a result of all 5 traces of our gamers are extraordinarily robust of their tennis skills and tennis IQs,’; Whittaker stated. “The opposite benefit we’ve got over the opposite groups in Palm Seashore County in 4A is how personally shut all of our starters have turn out to be this previous 12 months.”.
Final time West Boca went to states as a workforce was 2022 however misplaced within the first spherical to Gulf Coast. The boys have by no means received a state title.
In the meantime, St. Andrew’s continued its anticipated roll in advancing to the state workforce event in each women and boys.
The Boca Raton non-public faculty has seen its women advance to states yearly since coach Reid Rafter took over in 2015-16. The boys have superior to states yearly since 2018.
The women are led by first singles Lexi Cleveland, who’s unbeaten in 2024 and headed to Appalachian State on scholarship. And the boys are spearheaded by Nico Snyder, who dedicated to Furman.
This text initially appeared on Palm Seashore Submit: Wellington women tennis advances to states for first time in program historical past
